Semiconductor devices are expected to operate over a wide temperature range. However, various electrical components exhibit a temperature dependence. For example, temperature affects many transistor parameters, the dominant among which is the threshold voltage.
As one example, in NAND flash memory devices, temperature variations present various issues in reading and writing data. A memory device is subject to varying temperatures based on the environment in which it is located. For example, some memory devices are rated for use between −40° C. and +85° C. Devices in industrial, military and even consumer applications may experience significant temperature variations. Temperature variations can cause read errors and widen the threshold voltage distributions of the different states of a non-volatile storage element.
Many other types of semiconductor devices have a need for temperature sensors.